Valve for sterilizing apparatus



Sept. 29, 1925.

H. J. Hams VALVE FOR STBRILIZING APPARATUS Filed on. 1923.

INVENTOR /br J/fez'ns Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VALVE Foe s'rnnrmzrne APPARATUS.

Application filed October 9, 1923-.

To all 10h m it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IARRY J. Hours, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Sterilizing Apparatus, of which the following is a. specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to sterilizing apparatus and particularly to an improved valve construction for apparatus of this class and the object of the invention is to provide a valve of the class and for the purpose specified provided with a conical valve element which operates in connection with a tapered seat, saidvalve being so ported as to control the admission and discharge of steam from the sterilizing steam chamber of the apparatns as well. as the discharge of steam from the steam jacket; and with these and other objects in View, the invention consists in a valve. device of the class and for the purpose specified which is simple in construction and operation and efficient in use and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following s ecification, of which the accompanying c rawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammaticsectional view of a sterilizing apparatus showing my improved valve mounted in connection therewith.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing only a partof the construction and with the valve in a different position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the valve in another position; and,

Fig. 4 is a face view of the valve construction which I employ, a part of which is shown in section in 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing.

In Fig. 1. of the drawing I have shown for the purpose of illustrating one use of my improved valve device a sterilizing apparatus 5 comprising a steam sterilizing chamber 6 and ajacket 7 enclosing said chamber. At 8 I have represented a steam generator Serial No. 667,456.

placed in communication with the jacket 7 through a pipe 9 and at 10 I have shown a plug mounted in connection with the sterilizer and extending into the steam chamber 6, said plug being provided with a port or passage 11 opening into the steam cham her 6 and with a port or passage 12 opening into the jacket 7. Coup-led with the plug 10 by means of a sleeve coupling 13 is my improved valve device 14, the body portion of which is sub stantially L-s'haped in form, the main body being provided witha conical bore 15 forming a seat for a conical valve element 16 and the extension 17 to the main body is provided with two ports 18 and 19 which are adapted to register with the ports 11 and 12 rcspectively. The main body of the valve 14 is enlarged at one end and provided with a detachable cap 20 through which the stem 21 of the valve element 16 passes, said cap being provided with a stuffing box 22, and the other end of said valve body is provided with a discharge port 23 and is externally threaded to receive a pipe indicated at 24.

A handle member 25 is coupled with the protruding end of. the valve stem 21 and by means of which the valve element 16 is rotated, said handle being provided with a pointer 26 which is adapted to register with suitable indications on the face of the cap 20 as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, said indications being jacket, vacuum, and chamber.

The valve element 16 is normally held seated in the bore 15 by a spring27, and said valve element is provided in the periphery thereof with an elongated recess 28. adapted to place the ports 18 and 19 in communication as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing and with a central port 29 which communicates with a radial port 30 for placing the port 19 in communication with the discharge 23 as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The main body of the valve, 14 is also provided with laterally directed extensions 31 which are substantially of the same construction and these extensions are provided with chambers 32 placed in communication with the bores 18 and 19 through passages 33 and 34, and suitable pressure gages 35 and 36 are in communication with the chambers 32 to indicate the pressure in the chamber 6 and jacket 7 of the sterilizer, and as this last detail of construction is old and well-known in apparatus of this class, no specific reference is made there to, the same being only illustrated to show the complete structure of the valve body, the distinctive and novel features of the invention being in the construction of the valve 14 and the several parts thereof in combination with the sterilizer.

The operation of my improved valve will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and the following statement. In the initial use of the steiilizer, steam from the generator 8 is introduced, 'in the usual manner, into the jacket 7 and in this operation the valveis in a closed position such 'as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing and the steam is confined in said jacket and the pressure of this steam will be indicated by the pressure gage 35, and when it is decided to sterilize predetermined articles, the same are placed in the chamber 6 and the valve is moved into the position shown in Fig. 2, thus allowing steam to pass from the jacket 7 upwardly through the port 19, through the passage 28 in the valve and down into the chamber 6 through the port or passage 18. After the sterilization has taken place, the valve is moved into the position shown in Fig. 1 in which the steam from the acket 7 is discharged through the port 19, the apertures 30 and 29 and through the exhaust 23 which creates a suction or vacuum through a passage 29 in the valve element 16 and in the port 18 which communicates therewith, which operation removes the steam and air from the chamber 6, after which the valve is again closed as shown in Fig. 3 and the steam in the jacket 7 thoroughly dries the articles to be sterilized.

lVith' my improved construction it will be apparent that a very simple and yet effective valve for apparatus of the class under consideration is provided, and one, by reason of its construction, which will not readily get out of order or need repair and while I have shown and described certain details of construction for carrying my invention into effect, it will be apparent that I am not necessarily limited to these details and various changes therein and modifications thereof may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described -my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A valve device of the class described comprising a body portion, a conical valve seat in said body portion, two independent ports opening into the valve seat of said body portion, the end of the body portion being provided with a discharge port, a conical valve element mounted and seated in said body portion, ports in said valve element for placing one of the ports of the body portion incommunication with the discharge aperture, a passage in said valve element for placing the other port of the body portion in communication with said discharge aperture, and said valve element being provided with a passage independent of the first named port and passage therein for placing the separate ports of the body portion in communication.

2. A valve device of the class described comprising a body portion, a conical valve seat in said body portion, two independent ports opening into the valve seat of said body portion, the end of the body portion being provided with a discharge port, a conical valve element mounted and seated in said body portion, ports in said valve element for placing one of the ports of the body portion in communication with the discharge aperture, a passage in s'aidvalve element for placing the other port or": the body portion in communication with saiddischarge aperture, said valve element being provided with a passage independent of the first named port and passage therein for placing the separate ports of the body portion in communication, and tensional means for normally holding the valve element seated.

3. A valve device of the class described comprising a body portion, a conical seat in said body portion, an extension on said body portion, apertures formed in said extension and opening into said seat and outwardly therethrough, a conical valve element mounted and seated in said body portion, a

discharge port in the body poition of the valve, said valve element being provided with a port adapted to register with one of the apertures in said extension and with the discharge, port of the valve body, said valve element: being provided with a passage for placing the apertures of said extension in communication, and said valve element being provided with a passage independent of said first named passages for placing one of said apertures in communication with the discharge port.

4. A valve device of the class described comprising a body portion, a conical valve seat in said body portion, two independentports opening into the valve seat of said body portion, the end of the body portion being provided with a discharge port, a conical valve element mounted and seated in said body portion, ports in said valve element for placing one of the ports of the body portion in communication with the discharge aperture, a passage in said valve element for placing the other port of the body portion in communication with said dischar e aperture, said valve element being provi ed with a passage independent of the first named port and passage therein for placing the separate ports of the body portion in communication, tensional means for normally holding the valve element seated, and means on the projecting portion of said valve elemerit and on said body portion for indicating the several positions of said valve ele- 10 ment.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name this 6th day of Oct., 1923.

HARRY J. HEINS. 

